A Scots dad who was told by doctors he would never walk again after battling cancer and sepsis is preparing to run a half marathon next month. Ross Andrew, 30, from Anstruther in Fife, will take on the Edinburgh Half Marathon in November for Lymphoma Action.
Ross, a keen runner, was diagnosed with CNS lymphoma last November after initially thinking the pain in the bottom of his back was sciatica. Weeks later, he woke up with double vision and was forced to wear an eyepatch. Despite attending A&E, he was sent home after brain scans showed nothing was wrong. Two days later, the dad of one was unable to move his legs.
Ross said: “I had gone from someone who runs marathons to being disabled in a matter of days.” He was eventually admitted to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy after a visit to his GP with his wife Alana and their then nine-month-old son Max.
Diagnosis and treatment
Doctors initially treated him for suspected inflammation on his spinal cord. As his condition deteriorated and he could barely move his arms, Ross feared doctors were missing something. He said: “I told them to stop the antibiotics as it was clearly not working. I told them, ‘you can’t miss this much longer or I know I’ll be dead’.”
Medical staff decided to do a lumbar puncture and send it to Edinburgh for testing. Later that night, he was told he had lymphoma. Ross said: “I had no clue what that was. They replied, ‘You have cancer’. I just broke down. “I asked them, ‘Am I going to die?’, but they couldn’t tell me as the haematologists had gone home for the weekend.”
Chemotherapy followed, and after three weeks in hospital he made it home for Max’s first Christmas. But days later, Ross became desperately ill. Alana took him back to hospital, where he was diagnosed with sepsis. Ross said: “My doctor told me, ‘I cannot believe you’re not dead’. I am so lucky that my wife took me to hospital that night.”
Further setbacks and recovery
After finally leaving hospital in January, Ross was dealt another devastating blow when Alana suffered a miscarriage. He said: “She had a miscarriage due to the stress of my cancer and nearly dying. It was a horrendous time. It felt like I couldn’t be there to support her due to my illness.”
As Ross continued treatment, his 10-year-old German shepherd was diagnosed with a 10cm tumour in her chest but thankfully survived after a successful surgery. Tragedy then struck again when Ross’s dad, Bill Andrew, who had been bedridden and seriously ill, died on February 9 at the age of 75. Ross said: “My dad held on until I was out of hospital following my second round of chemo but I was determined to walk his coffin down the aisle. “My six brothers carried it but nothing was stopping me being there for him. I’d have crawled if I had to but I managed to power behind with crutches.”
Further treatment brought more setbacks, including another two more MRSA infections, which previously led to him contracting sepsis.
Remission and fundraising
After four rounds of chemotherapy, Ross is now in remission and has turned his attention to rebuilding his strength before taking on the Edinburgh Half Marathon for Lymphoma Action. He said: “I’m a very stubborn person who will never be told they can’t do something. So when doctors told me I’d never walk again, my first thought was, ‘Do you want to bet?’.”
Ross has been learning to walk again alongside Max and is now managing four minutes of running at a time. More than £1,400 has been raised on Ross’ GoFundMe so far. He added: “I’m raising money for Lymphoma Action, the only UK charity dedicated solely to people affected by lymphoma. They run a helpline, support groups, and a buddy service that pairs you with someone who has been through the same thing — which, when you’re newly diagnosed and frightened, is worth more than I can explain. “Every pound goes straight to them. If you can spare something, it will help someone facing what I faced feel less alone.”
